choosing an Engineering degree for embedded systems and IoT

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hogwarts

Joined Jul 27, 2017
1
I am applying for university right now and I am wondering which engineering degree is better for working on embedded systems and IOT: "Computer engineering" vs "electronics and communication engineering" also a specefic university offers "computer and communication engineering" I know that having any of those I can get into IoT but which would be better for the field?

if you can spare some more time here are the sourses for each in one of the universities I am looking at, the rest aren't that different:
http://www.aast.edu/en/colleges/coe/dept/programtemp.php?menutab=52&program_id=5&unit_id=66
http://www.aast.edu/en/colleges/coe/dept/programtemp.php?menutab=51&program_id=51&unit_id=65
 

OBW0549

Joined Mar 2, 2015
3,566
It's hard to say which course of study would be better for future embedded systems work; they both present useful (and vital) information, and I don't see any obvious, compelling reason to choose one over the other.

I think if I were forced to choose I'd pick Electronics and Communication Engineering, and supplement that curriculum with as many Computer Engineering electives (especially those which focus on programming) as you can fit in.

On this forum and several other electronics forums, as well as the Arduino and Raspberry Pi user forums, there seem to be many more computer-educated people struggling with basic electronic design, than there are electronics-educated people struggling to understand the basics of programming. But that's just my impression, and others may disagree.
 
Last edited:

cmartinez

Joined Jan 17, 2007
8,218
I am applying for university right now and I am wondering which engineering degree is better for working on embedded systems and IOT: "Computer engineering" vs "electronics and communication engineering" also a specefic university offers "computer and communication engineering" I know that having any of those I can get into IoT but which would be better for the field?

if you can spare some more time here are the sourses for each in one of the universities I am looking at, the rest aren't that different:
http://www.aast.edu/en/colleges/coe/dept/programtemp.php?menutab=52&program_id=5&unit_id=66
http://www.aast.edu/en/colleges/coe/dept/programtemp.php?menutab=51&program_id=51&unit_id=65
Like all industries, there are levels and specialties of participation in the IOT ... Heck, you could be an accountant hired by Google to monitor spending on the development of an intelligent thermostat! ... so you're going to have to ask yourself, how deep into this specialty do I want to get myself involved? Logistics, analog, digital design, or field testing, for instance? Then plan accordingly
 

crutschow

Joined Mar 14, 2008
34,280
I tend towards OBW0549's recommendation.
I see Computer Engineer for one who wants to perhaps work on the internal design of computers or microprocessors.
I think Electronics and Communication Engineering, along with some programming courses, would be a more rounded course, better suited to doing embedded design.
There are generally a lot more subtleties in doing the interface electronics to microprocessors in embedded design than there is in doing the programming.
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,157
I don't think it matters much. Virtually everything you learn at the university will be obsolete by the time you graduate. I was an undergraduate from 1965 to 1970. The transition from "Big Iron" to "Micro Silicon" was well underway, and the microprocessor had not yet been born. It was a time of incredible tumult including the need to build our own tools.
 
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